THE Princess Royal made a visit just north of the border in order to pay respect to the victims of the Lockerbie bombings.
On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over the town in Dumfries and Galloway, 40 minutes into its flight from London to New York.
All 259 passengers and crew were killed, including 35 students from the University of Syracuse, along with 11 Lockerbie residents.
The crime scene covered 845 square miles, including Cumbria, and many members of the emergency services travelled to Lockerbie from Cumbria in order to aid the rescue attempts.
As part of her visit, Princess Anne toured the memorial site where the names of all 270 victims are listed.
The Princess Royal visited the memorial site with Fiona Armstrong, Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries, and laid a wreath in the Lockerbie Garden of Remembrance at Dryfesdale Cemetery in Lockerbie.
Ms Armstrong gave a speech outlining the impact of the Lockerbie air disaster on the town.
“Just over 35 years ago, a plane was blown out of the sky. It landed on this small but vibrant market town, taking the lives of all 259 people onboard and 11 on the ground," she said.
“Two hundred and seventy lives lost in what was Britain's worst terrorist attack.
“I was there on that night, and I saw first-hand how this town rallied, how it coped and has continued to cope over the decades.
“A disaster like this can never be forgotten, so much grief, such senseless losses.
“Two hundred and seventy innocent lives remembered here on this memorial.
“'Each and every name will never be forgotten. Lockerbie's motto is forward, and we move together in hope.
“Your Royal Highness, your brother, now the King, came here following the disaster. Your mother, the late Queen, your father, the Duke of Edinburgh, also came here some years after to pay their respects and now we are honoured to have you here today as the Princess Royal.”
The visit to the Lockerbie memorial site was part of a wider visit to the south west Scotland for Princess Anne, who is also the president of Scottish Rugby.
The Princess Royal opened new facilities at Browns Food Group in Kelloholm and visited MacRebur, an asphalt contractor, in Lockerbie.
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